Beverage feeding apparatus for use with full pressure suit

ABSTRACT

A beverage feeding bottle for use with a full pressure suit having a stainless steel tube sealed to a T-member and passing through the T-member into a feed bottle. A bleed port is provided in the stem of the T-member which permits equalization of pressure in the bottle during ascent or in the event of loss of cabin pressure.

United States Patent [1 1 Vanderveen Nov. 27, 1973 BEVERAGE FEEDING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH FULL PRESSURE SUIT [75] Inventor: John E. Vanderveen, San Antonio,

Tex.

[73] Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, DC.

[22] Filed: May 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 254,142

[52] U.S. Cl 222/211, 222/212, 222/481, 222/542 [51] Int. Cl B65d 37/00 [58] Field of Search 222/211, 212, 382, 222/456, 434, 464, 481, 527, 542; 128/214 D,

214 F, DIG. 12

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,783,919 3/1957 Ansell 222/211 2,333,310 11/1943 Greening 222/481 2,711,846 6/1955 Birchall, Jr. et al. 222/542 X 3,240,398 3/1966 Dalton, Jr. 222/481 X Primary ExaminerRobert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Joseph J. Rolla Att0meyI-Iarry A. Herbert, Jr. et a1.

[5 7 ABSTRACT A beverage feeding bottle for use with a full pressure suit having a stainless steel tube sealed to a T-member and passing through theT-member into a feed bottle. A bleed port is provided in the stem of the T-member which permits equalization of pressure in the bottle during ascent or in the event of loss of cabin pressure.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures BEVERAGE FEEDING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH FULL PRESSURE SUIT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The design of prior art beverage bottles, used for delivering liquid beverages through the food port of a full pressure suit, required that the drinking tube be drawn to the top of the bottle during altitude ascent to permit pressure equalization in the bottle. If the tubes were not withdrawn to the top of the bottle, the liquid would be forced out through the tube during altitude ascent or as a result of loss of cabin pressure.

The drinking tubes were made of plastic and were sometimes damaged when an attempt was made, with a gloved hand, to return the drinking tube to the bottle to permit drinking. Also, since the content of the bottle has to be forced into the suit by pressure applied to the bottle, there has been some leakage around the straw at its sliding fit in the cap.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a stainless teel drinking tube is sealed to a T-fitting, which is secured to the top of a flexible drinking bottle. A bleeder valve is provided in the stem of the T-fitting. A passage is provided around the drinking tube from the bleeder valve fitting to the interior of the bottle.

IN THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a beverage bottle according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 through the center of the T-fitting.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference is now made to FIG. 1 of the drawing wherein there is shown a beverage feeding apparatus having a polyethylene bottle 12 with a cap 14. A nylon T-member 15 having arms 16 and 18 and a stem 20 has the arm 16 secured to the bottle cap 14 by means of nylon nuts 22 and 23.

A stainless steel tube 25 passes through arms 16 and 18 of the T-member l5 and into the bottle 12 to a posi tion adjacent the bottom 19. A nylon bleed valve member 28 is threaded into the stem 20 and has .a central opening 30 communicating with a bleed port 32. The T-member has an enlarged bore 33 surrounding the tube 25 to provide a passage from the bleed port into the bottle.

The stainless steel tube 25 is sealed into the T- member 15 by means of a standard front and back ferrule 34 and 35 and a standard clinch nut 36. The tube 25 has a bend of about 15 at 31.

In the operation of thedevice, the bleed valve is normally left open so that the pressure in the bottle can equalize with cabin pressure during ascent or upon loss of cabin pressure. When the pilot desires to drink from the beverage feeding bottle, he turns the knurled knob 37 on the bleed valve to seat the valve against the T- member to seal the bleed port. He then inserts the stainless steel feeding tube 25 into the food port of his pressure suit and into his mouth and applies pressure to the external surface of the bottle to force the beverage into his mouth. When the feeding tube is removed from the food port of the pilot's pressure suit, the bleed port is again opened so that, in the event of decompression of the cabin, the beverage will not be forced out of the feed tube into the cabin.

There is thus provided a beverage feeding bottle with apparatus to permit equalization of pressure between the cabin and the bottle during ascent or cabin decompression.

I claim:

1. A beverage feeding apparatus adapted to be used with a full pressure suit, comprising: a flexible bottle; a cap member on said bottle; a stainless steel feed tube, adapted to be inserted in the feed port of said full pressure suit; means, sealed to said cap member for providing a seal around said feed tube; said feed tube having one end passing through the seal means and into the flexible bottle with the end adjacent the bottom of the bottle; means connected to said seal means for providing a bleed passage into said bottle and means for selectively closing said bleed passage whereby beverage may be forced out of said feed tube by applying pressure to the flexible bottle; said seal means consisting of a T- member with the feed tube passing through the T- member into the bottle with the seal between the feed tube and the T-member consisting of a front and back ferrule and a clinch nut; said T-member being sealed to the cap member by means of a pair of nylon nuts; said means for providing a bleed passage into said bottle including an annular channel surrounding the feed tube within said T-member and a threaded bleed valve threaded into the T-member with a bleed port in the threaded portion of the bleed valve, whereby the port is sealed when the valve is turned all the way into the T-member; said bleed valve having a shoulder adapted to engage the T-member to aid in providing a seal for the bleed passage. 

1. A beverage feeding apparatus adapted to be used with a full pressure suit, comprising: a flexible bottle; a cap member on said bottle; a stainless steel feed tube, adapted to be inserted in the feed port of said full pressure suit; means, sealed to said cap member for providing a seal around said feed tube; said feed tube having one end passing through the seal means and into the flexible bottle with the end adjacent the bottom of the bottle; means connected to said seal means for providing a bleed passage into said bottle and means for selectively closing said bleed passage whereby beverage may be forced out of said feed tube by applying pressure to the flexible bottle; said seal means consisting of a T-member with the feed tube passing through the T-member into the bottle with the seal between the feed tube and the T-member consisting of a front and back ferrule and a clinch nut; said T-member being sealed to the cap member by means of a pair of nylon nuts; said means for providing a bleed passage into said bottle including an annular channel surrounding the feed tube within said T-member and a threaded bleed valve threaded into the T-member with a bleed port in the threaded portion of the bleed valve, whereby the port is sealed when the valve is turned all the way into the T-member; said bleed valve having a shoulder adapted to engage the T-member to aid in providing a seal for the bleed passage. 